Death and Resurrection

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Death and Resurrection
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The Garden of Gethsemane (1432-42)

• Father, my father! All things are possible for
  you. Take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet
  not what I want, but what you want (v.36)
• Meaning
• Jesus could have tried to avoid crucifixion.
• He deliberately accepts his death, because he
  believed he was doing Gods will.
• Jesus calls God Abba an Aramaic word meaning
  father.
• Jesus is overwhelmed with fear and grief.
• He begs God that he might not have to suffer.
  Jesus experiences agony and distress like any
  other human being.

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The Garden of Gethsemane (1432-42)

• The humanity of Jesus is seen in this story.
• Father, my father! All things are possible for
  you. Take this cup of suffering away from me.
  Yet not what I want, but what you want. (v.36)
• This prayer expresses the closest relationship
  between God and Jesus.
• Jesus was aware that suffering (the cup) lay
  ahead and he was frightened.
• He prayed to be released but only if it was Gods
  will.

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Problems for Christians Today

• Some people find the idea of Jesus praying hard
  to accept.
• If Jesus is God, why does he need to pray?
• How could the Son of God be distressed?
• The answer is that although Jesus is God, he also
  a human being and human beings get frightened
  and need to pray.
• If Jesus was not really terrified at the thought
  of the agonising death that was waiting for him,
  then he would not really be human, and his death
  and resurrection would have no meaning.

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Betrayal and Arrest (1443-52)

• Chief priests, teacher of the law and elders
  Sanhedrin - The religious authority come to
  arrest Jesus
• Judas greeted Jesus with a kiss, a common form of
  greeting to betray Jesus
• Jesus does not resist his arrest. He accepts what
  is happening as fulfilling scripture.
• All who hate me whisper together about me, and
  love to make the worst of everything Even the
  friend whom I trusted, who ate at my table ,
  exults over my misfortune.
• (Psalm 417,9)
• They arrest him at night to avoid riots by the
  crowds.

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Different attitudes to Judas

• Most Christians consider Judas a traitor.
• However, it could be argued that Judas had no
  choice. He had to fulfil his destiny and Jesus
  destiny too.
• Because of this some Christians today view Judas
  differently from the way he appears in Marks
  gospel.

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Different attitudes to Judas

• These Christians think there might be several
  possible explanations for Judas actions.
• Perhaps Judas himself had been arrested when
  Jesus cleansed the Temple and in return for
  freedom he agreed to hand over Jesus.
• Was Judas disillusioned when he realised that
  Jesus had no intention of becoming a political or
  military Messiah, or did he want to force Jesus
  hand, thinking his arrest would lead to an
  uprising against Roman rule?

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Different attitudes to Judas

• Or what if the betrayal was a deliberate act
  towards fulfilling prophecy? If so, Judas might
  have acted with Jesus full agreement in
  betraying his master.
• Another alternative is that Judas motivation in
  betraying Jesus to the Romans was to help him.
  As a close friend, Judas was helping Jesus to
  fulfil his destiny to die on the cross.

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Different attitudes to Judas

• Questions
• Do you think Judas was a traitor? Explain why.
• Explain why other people would not agree with you.

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Trial before the High Priest (1453-65)

• This Means-
• The Sanhedrin accuse Jesus of blasphemy.
• Blasphemy is using Gods name wrongly
• It was a religious trial, if found guilty the
  punishment was death.

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Trial before the High Priest

• Key Points
• The lack of evidence.
• False testimonies not agreeing, including the
  destruction of the Temple in three days
• The silence of Jesus
• The question of the High Priest
• Jesus agreement that he was the Christ, the Son
  of the Blessed One
• The condemnation for blasphemy.

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Christian Attitudes to Justice

• This was an unusual trial.
• Most people today would probably say that justice
  was not done.
• The Sanhedrin did not follow the rules found in
  Deuteronomy (1915-19) about how to conduct a
  trial.
• This passage might encourage Christians to be
  sure that justice is always done and that others
  see that it is done.
• They might also think that the law must always be
  followed properly and cannot be influenced by
  personal feelings.

13
Christian Attitudes to Justice

• Question
• How might this story of an unjust and unfair
  trial be an encouragement to Christians
  undergoing persecution?
• How might this affect Christian attitudes to
  justice today? Give different points of view in
  your answer.

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Trial before Pilate (151-15)

• Jesus was questioned, Are you the king of the
  Jews?
• This is not a religious crime. Here he is charged
  with Treason. A political crime.
• The Sanhedrin make him out to be a threat to the
  Romans.
• Pilate obviously didnt think that Jesus was a
  threat to the Romans.

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Trial before Pilate (151-15)

• Apparently it was a custom for the Roman governor
  to release a prisoner during Passover.
• The Jewish authorities got the crowd to shout for
  Barabbas, a murderer.
• Pilate knew that Jesus had done nothing wrong.
  (v. 10, 14)
• Pilate wanted to please the crowd and avoid a
  riot. He released Barabbas and had Jesus flogged.

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Trial before Pilate (151-15)

• Important Points
• The name Barabbas means Son of the Father. He may
  also have claimed to be a messiah.
• Mark totally blames the Jewish leaders for Jesus
  death.
• Mark does this to show Jesus was not a threat to
  the Romans.

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How Christians Today view this Trial

• Many Christians in the past blamed Jewish people
  for the death of Jesus because of the accounts in
  the gospels. This led to hundreds of years of
  anti-Semitism and persecution of Jewish people by
  Christians. Today most Christians see the trial
  as fulfuling Gods plan.

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Christian Attitudes to Justice

• Christians today realise that they should not be
  anti-Semitic because this goes against Jesus
  teachings of treating everyone as you would wish
  to be treated, and also because Jesus himself was
  a Jew and lived according to Jewish Law.

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Christian Attitudes to Justice

• In 2005 Pope Benedict XVI offered greetings to
• my brothers and sisters of the Jewish people,
  to whom we are joined by a great shared spiritual
  heritage, one rooted in Gods irrevocable
  promises.

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Christian Attitudes to Justice

• Questions
• Explain why many Christians today see the trial
  before Pilate differently from Christians in the
  past.
• Who is to blame for Jesus death?

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Tasks

• Read Danes p180-182 / AQA p32
• Using full sentences answer the following
  questions.
• Why did Mark include so much detail about Simon
  of Cyrene?
• Why was Jesus offered wine mixed with myrrh?
• Why do you think he refused it?
• Explain the meaning of the initials INRI.
• Describe 2 ways in which Jesus was mocked on the
  cross.
• Why didnt Jesus get off the cross and prove he
  was the Messiah?
• Why does Mark include Jesus words Eloi Eloi
  lema sabachthani?
• How can these words help Christians?
• Explain the symbolism of the Temple curtain
  being torn in two.
• Why did Mark include the Centurions comment?

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Crucifixion 1521-29

• Crucifixion was a common form of torture and
  capital punishment in ancient times. Romans used
  it as a deterrent for those who might oppose the
  Empire.
• Victims usually died as a result of suffocation
  but they often hung in agony for days Jesus
  death was considered unusually quick.

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Crucifixion 1521-29

• Jesus was beaten so badly that he couldnt carry
  the crossbar himself so Simon of Cyrene was
  called upon to carry it for him.
• Mark gives us details about Simon, perhaps to
  show that he was an eye witness and to show the
  crucifixion really happened in this way.

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Crucifixion 1521-29

• Jesus is crucified at 9 oclock in the morning at
  a place called Golgotha which is an Aramaic
  word for skull Mark translates it for his
  Gentile readers.
• Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh, which
  was a pain killer, but Jesus refused to take it
  this shows courage.

25
Crucifixion 1521-29

• The Roman soldiers dont care about the prisoners
  and throw dice to see who would get the clothes.
  Under Roman Law the crucified mans clothes
  belonged to his executioners.
• The notice The King of the Jews was written
  above the cross, showing why he was being
  crucified. He was crucified as a traitor.
  Perhaps Pilate wanted to frighten off any other
  Jews who might claim to be King of the Jews.

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Crucifixion 1521-29

• Jesus was crucified with two bandits.
• They might have been robbers or revolutionaries
  or Zealots.
• Even at the end of his life Jesus was with
  outcasts.
• Passers-by, Jewish leaders and the two robbers
  insult Jesus and told him to save himself.

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Crucifixion 1521-29

• The saying about the Temple comes up again. No
  one is interested in what Jesus meant by it, they
  just think he is boasting about his power.
• Mark is showing here that they have totally
  missed the point. Jesus is the Messiah who will
  suffer and die and so the point is he stays on
  the cross.

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Crucifixion 1521-29

• Everything went dark for 3 hours from midday to 3
  oclock.
• Jesus cries out, Eloi, eloi, lema sabachthani?
• My God, my God, why did you abandon me?
• This is shocking for Christians why would God
  abandon Jesus?

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Crucifixion 1521-29

• The words are a quotation from the first line of
  Psalm 22. God is on the side of the writer of
  Psalm 22 and so he will be on the side of Jesus.
• People watching mistake what Jesus said and think
  that he is calling for Elijah.
• People thought that Elijah would return at the
  time of the Messiah. This shows that they think
  that Jesus is the Messiah.

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Crucifixion 1521-29

• Jesus was offered a sponge filled with wine
  vinegar which may have been an act of kindness or
  more mocking.
• Jesus cries out and dies.
• At that moment the curtain in the Temple
  separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of
  the Temple is torn in two.
• This is symbolic of what has just happened.

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Crucifixion 1521-29

• The barrier between God and people (sin) has been
  removed by Jesus death.
• The Centurion soldier (a Gentile) standing by the
  cross says, This man was really the Son of God!
• The first person to have faith in Jesus after his
  death is a Gentile.
• Jesus Kingdom is for Jews and Gentiles.

32
Crucifixion 1521-29

• For Mark, for the Centurion and for Christians,
  the man who dies on the cross truly is the Son of
  God.

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The Importance of Jesus crucifixion for Mark

• The Old Testament prophecies told of the
  Suffering Servant of God and this ws the message
  Mark wanted his readers to understand.
• This message was especially important for the
  early Christians as they faced persecution.
• If the founder of their faith could face
  suffering and rejection, then so could they.

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Questions

• Many Christians today retrace the journey of
  Jesus through Jerusalem to the spot where it is
  believed he was crucified. Why would they want to
  do this?
• Which parts of the story of Jesus crucifixion
  emphasise that Jesus is for all people, not just
  the Jews?

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Christians Today

• Many Christians view Jesus death as the
  sacrifice to end all sacrifices because Jesus
  gives his blood voluntarily so that every person
  can bridge the gap between God and humanity.
• Today many Christians feel that this idea shows
  God as harsh and cruel in condemning his own son
  to suffering and death.
• They also reject the idea that God needed a
  perfect sacrifice.

36
Christians Today

• Other Christians think about this in a different
  way
• Mark wrote that Jesus gave his life as a ransom
  for many. A ransom is a sum of money demanded
  for the release of a prisoner.
• This ransom had to be paid to free people from
  their sin and bring them back to God.
• God showed his love for humans to such an extent
  that he was prepared to allow Jesus to die as
  this ransom which would enable humanity to come
  back to him.

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The Burial 1540-47

• This means
• The women have not abandoned Jesus, unlike the
  male disciples.
• Joseph of Arimathaea was a member of the Jewish
  Council and a supporter of Jesus not all Jews
  condemned Jesus.
• Joseph asks for Jesus body so that it can be
  buried before the Sabbath begins, according to
  Jewish custom.

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The Burial 1540-47

• Pilate was surprised that Jesus was already dead
  and asks for this to be checked.
• This may show that Mark wanted to demonstrate
  that Jesus was actually dead so that it shows
  that he did rise from the dead and was not in a
  coma.

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The Burial 1540-47

• The women watch to see where Jesus was buried so
  that they could come back after the Sabbath and
  anoint the body, according to Jewish customs.
• A large stone was rolled across the entrance to
  the tomb.

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Why did Mark record Jesus burial?

• Mark records that Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus
  body and buried him.
• The burial indicates that Jesus was really dead.
• Roman soldiers and others handling the body would
  not make a mistake about this.
• The reports of Jesus burial encourage Christians
  today to believe it actually happened.

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Why did Mark record Jesus burial?

• Also, by writing about it in this way Mark may
  have tried to avoid any arguments about where
  Jesus had been buried.
• The early Christian Church had to answer charges
  that suggested that Jesus had not really died at
  all, and that the women had gone to the wrong
  tomb on the Sunday morning.

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Christians Today

• However, the Gospel records
• that Pilate sent a soldier to check Jesus was
  dead (1544)
• The women took note of where the body of Jesus
  had been placed (1547)

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Questions

• Do you think it is important that there are now
  two sites in Jerusalem that are claimed to be the
  burial site of Jesus?

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Resurrection 16 1-8

• This means
• Women come to the tomb as soon as the Sabbath
  ended very early in the morning.
• Jesus resurrection was discovered on Sunday
  morning. Sunday becomes the holy day of the week
  for Christians, not Saturday as it is for the
  Jews.
• The women were carrying out the usual customs of
  anointing a dead body.

45
Resurrection 16 1-8

• Women are concerned about moving the heavy stone
  which has already been moved when they arrive.
• A young man in white, on the right is sitting in
  the tomb.
• He is a messenger/angel from God white is often
  used to show a link with God. (At
  Transfiguration Jesus clothes are shining white)

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Resurrection 16 1-8

• Angel gives the women the message that Jesus is
  risen.
• Jesus will meet them in Galilee which is a
  familiar place to them where they were happy.
• Jesus will gather them together he is the
  shepherd who will gather the sheep together.

47
Resurrection 16 1-8

• Jesus mentions Peter showing that he has forgiven
  him for his denial.
• The women are terrified and run away which is not
  surprising. They show a fear of God (see Who is
  Jesus?)
• The women told no one perhaps this was not seen
  to be a good ending to the Gospel.

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Christians Today

• Some Christians only see meaning in the death of
  Jesus if it is linked to the resurrection.
• Without the resurrection they do not see how the
  death of Jesus achieves anything.
• In the resurrection they see his triumph over
  death.
• Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God
  frees people from the slavery of sin and death.
• They see the power of Gods love as so strong
  that it overcomes sin and death.
• Humanity is now reconciled to God even if some
  people are unaware of the good news.

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Past Questions

• Who was Pontius Pilate? (2)
• Outline what happened between Jesus death and
  his resurrection. (6)
• Explain why the death of Jesus is important for
  Christians. (8)
• Jesus is alive today.
• Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion
  showing you have thought about more than one
  point of view. (4)